Lock having a flexible bolt



5 4 l I I w W w 5 p 5 2 W W5 2 w H)@ J a Q Z n E M W 0% F E POULSON LOCK HAVING A FLEXIBLE BOLT Aug. 26, 1952 Flled Dec 18 1948 F. E. POULSON LOCK HAVING A FLEXIBLE BOLT Aug. 26, 1952 2' SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Dec. 18, 1948 /V VEN T 02 55 Frank f. P0 ulsorz fl -4, m-bw r dilys Patented Aug. 26, 1952 LOCK HAVING A FLEXIBLE BOLT Frank E. Poulson, Chicago, 111., assignor to Certified Burglar Alarm Systems, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 18, 1948, Serial No. 66,019

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a lock having a flexible bolt. More specifically it has reference to a lock having a body part, a keeper part and a flexible member associated with a key-operated tumbler whereby the flexible member may be operated to a position fastening the two parts in locking relation.

Locks available at present have certain inherent disadvantages. For example, that type utilizing a movable bolt and keeper plate must be initially carefully aligned, otherwise the bolt will not enter the aperture in the keeper plate.

Moreover, the inevitable settling and warping of a door will .disturb any proper initial alignment with consequent operating difliculties.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a lock eliminating these difficulties by employing a flexible member adapted to move, by operation of a key controlled tumbler, into and out of a multi-apertured keeper-plate to embrace the same and to return to the lock housing and be locked at its free end in locking relation by the key controlled tumbler.

A further object of my invention resides, therefore, in providing a unique type of lock which will operate properly notwithstanding misalignment of the body part and keeper part. I

Still a further object is to provide a lock as aforesaid including the flexible bolting element, as pointed out, and a tumbler or other type of locking mechanism on one side of the door only, the lock on the opposite side of the door being so constructed as to render tampering therewith extremely difficult.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of the lock body and keeper with the interior thereof exposed, and the lock shown in released position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the lock in locked position;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4-. is a side view of the body part looking in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the keeper part looking in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the face of the tumbler lock and the shield for the same.

The invention generally incorporates a lock body having a wheel or like member rotatably or otherwise mounted therein, the rotation or movement being accomplished through the use of a key, although it is within contemplation to substitute a handle therefor. The wheel cooperates with a flexible element such as, for example, a chain cable or the like arranged to be wound or unwound with respect thereto and the body and keeper are provided with channels whereby the element-upon rotation of the wheel may be moved therealong and, in its passage,

fasten the door with respect to its jamb.

Now referring to the drawings, there is shown a body part I 0 and a keeper part I I, each includin elementsto be detailed, the former having a casing l2 of any desired exterior form and a circular cavity 13 therein in communication with two outwardly directed substantially tangential channels 14 and 15, the cavity and channels being exposed when the cover plate to be described is removed. The casinglZ may be surface-mounted or flush, as shown, and is provided with a cover plate I6 of L-form (Fig. 3) embracing the back an side faces of the casing. Mounting screws 11 and t8 through the rear face l9 and the side face 22 of the plate 16 and through the casing I 2 serve to secure the body part ID to the door 5. In order to defeat attempts to pry off the cover plate even when the rear mounting screws I! are removed, the rear periphery of the plate 16 is provided with a tongue portion 23 in engagement with a corr sponding groove 24 in the casing. By this construction the barely visible crevice fails to afford purchase for any prying'tool an intruder may employ.

Keeper part I I and its cover plate 26 are similarly constructed, part II being secured to the jamb by screws 21 and 28.

Within the cavity 13 is a rotatably supported toothed wheel 3|, the wheel having a rectangular aperture 32 tightly fitted over the correspondingly-shaped shank 33 of the cylinder 34 of a tumbler type of lock 35 of the Yale or similar type, or a lock of any other'preferred kind. Lock 35 is mounted in door 5 and secured therein in any conventional way, as by a-plate 6 and screws threading into plate 6, the flange 8 of lock 35 being pulled tightly against the face of the door 5, and plate 6 being received in the door in back of casing l2. The arrangement provides for rotation of wheel 31 by rotation of the cylinder 34. One complete revolution ofwheel 3| is sufficient to effect the locking action to be presently described.

Wheel 31 is provided with a plurality of active teeth 4| interrupted to provide'a lug 42,.to which one end of roller chain 43 is connected by a pin 44. The other end of roller chain 43 is free and normally lies in channel H with the chain itself wrapped about wheel 3|: when the lock is unlocked (Fig. 1). Chain 43 is thus retained in operative relation with the wheel 3| by the side wall of the cavity |3.

Body 50 of the keeper part H has an arcuate recess therein (Fig. 2), the open ends of the recess being accessible through apertures 52 and 53 (Fig. 5) of the cover plate 26, and the outer ends of the channels 4 and I5 being accessible through corresponding apertures 54 and 55 (Fig. 4) in the cover plate l6, adjacent openings in the two cover plates being in alignment vertically and horizontally.

Installation of the lock structure is effected by first mortising the door and J'amb, as shown, to receive the casing l2 and keeper body 50, the recesses being cut deeply enough at the edges to i accommodate the cover plates l6 and 26. Look is, however, first installed. The cover plates are then put in place and, the screws IT, IS, 21 and 28 are inserted to: secure the several parts together and to the door and jamb. It will be obvious' that when the door is locked, screws l8 and 28 are inaccessible; and accordingly, should an unauthorized person within the building, and desiring to open the door. for carrying out loot, be successful in prying the cover plate l6 partially away, it would still be. practically impossible to remove the plate to release the locking element 43, the operation of which will be shortly detailed. Similarly with respect to the plate 26.

To lock the door, assuming the condition to be u as in Fig. 1, the key is inserted in the lock 35 and the wheel 3| rotated counterclockwise, as seen in that figure. Consequently, the chain 43 is unwound to thrust the free end thereof along the channel l4, through the apertures 54 and 52, around the channel 5|, through the apertures 53 and 55, and along the channel l5, at which point one of the teeth. 4| (Fig, 2) will pick up the free end of, the. chain to form a closed loop. The key may then be withdrawn.

Thus the door is bolted. by the chain at two separated points, and the. wheel 3 is incapable of being rotated without the use of a key. It will be obvious that unlocking is the reverse of the foregoing,

Channels l4, l5 and 5|, and apertures 52, 53, 54 and 55 are only a little larger than the chain 43 to facilitate threading of the chain therethrough, to prevent buckling thereof, and to obviate rattling or the door. Moreover, chain 43 may be hardened to withstandattack by a hacksaw.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and. scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A look comprising a hollow body part and a keeper part adjacent one edge thereof when the two are in looking position, a wheel rotatably supported in. said body part, means for rotating said wheel, said body part having a pair of parallel channels substantially in tangential alignment with diametrically opposite points of the periphery of said wheel and terminating in apertures at said edge, an elongated flexible element attached at one end to the periphery of said wheel and adapted to be wound therearound, the free end of saidelement being arranged for exit through one of said apertures, said keeper part having a substantially semicircular channel therein, each end of said keeper-channel terminating in alignment with one of said apertures whereby when said body part and keeper part are in locking position, rotation of said wheel to locking position will feed said element through said exit aperture and through said keeper-channel into the other of said apertures.

2. A look comprising a hollow body part and a keeper part, a toothed wheel rotatably supported in said body part and having means for rotating the same, a plurality of connected links engageable with individual teeth of said wheel, one end of said plurality of links being aflixed to said Wheel and the other end being free, said body part having a pair of apertures substantially in tangential alignment with said teeth, and saidkeeper part having a pair of apertures in respective alignment with said body part apertures, and a substantially semicircular channel within said keeper part, the ends of the channel terminating in said keeper apertures whereby rotation of said wheel to locking position Will feed the free end of said plurality of links through a body aperture, through the corresponding keeper aperture, through said channel, through the other keeper aperture and through the other body aperture.

3. A look comprising a hollow body part and a keeper part, a wheel rotatably supported in said body part, means for rotating said wheel, means for locking said rotating means, said body part having a pair of parallel channels opening exteriorly of the body part and substantially in tangential alignment with diametrically opposite points of the periphery of said wheel, said keeper part having an open-ended arcuate channel therein, the open ends lying opposite respective open ends of said first-mentionel channels, an elongated flexible element attached at one end to the periphery of said wheel and adapted to be wound therearound, the free end of said element being disposed for travel through the open end of one of said first-mentioned channels, around said arcuate channel and return to said body part through the open end of the other of said firstmentioned channel.

4. A lock comprising a body part and a keeper part, said body part having a cylindrical cavity therein and a pair of parallel channels in communication with said cavity and tangential thereto, said channels opening at one face of said body part, a toothed wheel rotatably supported within said cavity, a chain adapted to mesh with said wheel and having one end attached thereto and the other end free to be guided in one of said channels, means for rotating said wheel including a key-operated lock therefor, said keeper part having an arcuate channel therein, said arcuate channel openin at both ends opposite respective open ends of said first-mentioned channels, said chain being adapted for winding and unwinding upon said toothed wheel upon rotation thereof, the chain when unwound being threaded through said several channels seriatim to lock the keeper with respectto the body part. the free end of said chain being engaged by said wheel upon re-entry thereof into said body part.

5. In combination, a lock, a keeper including a faceplate and a body having an arcuate channel therein, the termini of the channel opening at the surface of the faceplate, said lock comible element attached at one end to the periphery of said wheel and wound therearound, the free end of said element being arranged for exit through one of said apertures, the said apertures and the open ends of said keeper channel being respectively in alignment whereby when the edge of the lock and the faceplate are in lockin position, rotation of said wheel feeds said element through said exit-aperture and through said keeper-channel into the other of said apertures.

6. In combination, a look, a keeper including a faceplate and a body having an arcuate channel therein, the termini of the channel opening at the surface of the faceplate, said lock comprises a hollow housing, a toothed Wheel rotatably supported in said housing and having means for rotating the same, a plurality of connected links engageable with individual teeth of said wheel, one end of said plurality being affixed to said wheel and the other end being free, said housing having a pair of apertures substantially in tangential alignment with said teeth, said apertures and termini being in alignment when the lock and keeper are in looking relation whereby rotation of said wheel will thread said links through said apertures and termini to secure the lock and keeper in locking position.

7. A look adapted to cooperate with a keeper having a multi-apertured faceplate forming a part thereof, said lock comprising a hollow housing having openings therein adapted to be aligned with the apertures of said faceplate, a toothed wheel disposed in said housing, a key-controlled means for rotating said wheel, and a flexible chain-like member secured at one end to said wheel, the free end of said chain-like'member being adapted to pass out of said housing through 45 one of said openings into and out of said multiapertured faceplate to embrace the same and to re-enter said housing through another of said openings and to be engaged by a tooth of said wheel, said key-controlled means locking said wheel against further rotation in either direction after said free end of said chain-like member is engaged by said tooth of said wheel.

8. A look adapted to cooperate with a keeper having a multi-apertured faceplate forming a part thereof, said lock comprising a hollow housing having openings therein adapted to be aligned with the apertures of said faceplate, a movable member disposed in said housing, a key-controlled means for moving said member and for looking it against movement, and a flexible member socured at one of its ends to said movable member, the other end of said flexible member being arranged to move outof said housing through one of said openings into and out of said multi-apertured faceplate to embrace the same and to re enter said housing through another of said openings by the movement of said movable member by said key-controlled means, there being means on said movable member to engage said free end of said flexible member, said key-controlled means locking said movable member against further movement after said means engages said free end of said flexible member.

FRANK E. FOUL-SON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 558,814 Hunt .1 Apr. 21,1896 843,200 Fessler Feb. 5, 1907 1,609,646 Richter Aug. 5, 1913 1,181,050 Woodfine Apr. 25, 1916 1,437,992 Pike Dec. 5, 1922 1,480,636 Rosenthal Jan. 15, 1924 1,570,331 Brauning Jan. 19,1926 1,866,684: Van der Leun July 12, 1932 2,454,145 Erkkila Nov. 16, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 343,051 Great Britain Feb. 2, 1931 350,146 Germany 1- Mar. 14, 1922 

